Shattered Hope
by aerie-art
Summary: She never gave up hope, like many of the others. She knew, she absolutely knew, she'd be saved from the life she was brought into, that she would be brought back into the world she was stolen from. Tsunako...she believed in hope. Fem!Tsu and eventual X27.
1. Chapter 1

**Ah, yet another random idea story. I hope you enjoy it. This is simply an introduction chapter, so it does not involve much of the anime/manga, though of course it involves the protagonist, "Tsunako", as well as mentions of a few others (Xanxus...that's about it...oh! And the Ninth!). (Sorry if the Ninth feels OOC, I am NOT very good at keeping that guy in character...)  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own _Katekyo Hitman Reborn! _in any way (unfortunately). It all belongs to its rightful owner, etc.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One: <strong>

All the brunette female could remember was a group of blurry faces, a group of people that she could never reach. One particular memory was that of a twelve year old boy, a scowling young male with unruly black hair and crimson orbs that screamed danger.

Sometimes, when she was alone and not needed for her services, the young girl found herself dreaming about those faces, going as far as to name them and give them their own personalities. As a girl with no schooling, and being locked up tight in a room with only a ratty old cot and a table with a lamp on it, she became quite the imaginative youth.

The mirage of faces became her imaginary friends, her only companions in her desolate world.

"Onii-chan!" she turned to her left and proceeded to tell the black-haired youth of her day. To her, she saw a handsome young man, eternally youthful, with a smile plastered on his face, warm and full of caring and kindness. To any other mortal, they saw a sad little girl talking to herself.

When she turned eight, the girl was taught to read and write by another "employee" of their "workplace." It was found that she was quite the scholar, despite her young age.

It had been six years since she first came here. Even though she was scared and first, frightened beyond belief, she slowly relaxed. She wasn't one of the girls, who went into another part of the mansion, and came back hours later, a drugged look on their face, blood between their legs (in some cases, anyway), and tears running down their pale cheeks.

She was one of the girls, the younger workers, whose job it was to clean and take care of the masters of the house, the people who owned the girls and women that lived in the mansion.

The eight year old was much too innocent to understand, that in just a few years, she'd be one of the girls with tears running down their cheeks. That was the thought the elder girls held, sadness welling in their hearts as they witnessed Tsunako's, and their own, futures.

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><p>Six years have passed since Tsunako's splendid innocence. She now knew her future, and her stomach tightened in knots at the thought of it.<p>

Our dear Tsunako, her naivety knew no bounds. She thought, no, she _knew, _that somehow, someday, she'd escape from her hell. A fool's wish, the other girls thought.

"Call it intuition." She often said, that naïve and stupid smile on her lips. The other girls just looked at her sadly, as if they couldn't believe that she still held so much hope.

It was an off day, the mansion quiet and serene. Some girls lazed about, relaxing on couches and chairs, and the younger ones (which still included Tsunako) cleaned.

The place was quiet, a bit too much for the elder, more experienced girls' tastes. Normally they would have seen one of the men walking around by now, but it was as silent as the dead.

It was eerie.

So, of course when gunshots were heard, all of the girls jumped about began to panic. Even more so when people in suits or in pure black jumped through the windows, the glass shards falling down to the tiled floor below. It took but a matter of minutes for all of the girls to be rounded up and put in the foyer.

A group of suited men dispersed, showing an elderly man carrying a cane. All of these, save a few, were foreigners.

"Greetings." The elderly man said, a pleasant grin on his face. The girls continued to huddle together and some began to shiver in fear and anticipation, waiting, watching, and wondering what this man wanted from them. Did he come to destroy the mansion, and the yakuza group within it? Was it just going to be a massacre? Or, perhaps, was this man the savior they had all been waiting for?

"I am the Ninth Vongola Boss of the Vongola Family, one of the most prestigious and influential mafia families in this world." He continued on, in perfect and fluent Japanese. Some of the girls began to silently cry, the girls around them offering small bits of comfort through hand squeezing or an arm around the shoulder.

"Personally, I am wholly against this type of…business. So, since I am on personal business, I decided to deal with the Takazuki Yakuza Group…Japan's most premier group involving sexual slavery. As of right now, you girls will be taken to several of my mansions throughout Japan for medical treatment among other things. That's all." The elderly man, a seemingly perfect copycat of an Italian Albert Einstein, turned on his heel and strode out of the room, his scepter-cane clicking in time with his leather shoes.

It took awhile for the girls to comprehend what had just been said, but as soon as they did, cheers erupted. Tears sprung freely from the girls' eyes, a true and not forced smile on their lips, and hope was strong in their hearts.

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><p>The next morning, Tsunako woke up. She was hazy, but knew she had better awaken or else the masters would beat her…again.<p>

But when she found herself in a large room, in a comfortable bed, with a breakfast tray beside her…she was stunned. That is, until she remembered the incident yesterday. A smile tugged on her lips. She knew her intuition would never fail her.

A sense of pure joy overtook her senses, a joy she had never felt before. Finally, she was free. And she had never been one of the girls to come back, crying and impure.

But her joy was quickly replaced by worry, and her worry was quickly replaced by distress. What would happen to her now, now that she was free of the chains of her masters? What would happen now, to a girl that had lived all but two years of her life locked away, waiting for the day that her innocence would be stolen? She had some schooling, basic arithmetic, reading, and writing. What would a girl as foolish, naïve, immature, and stupid as her do now? She couldn't live off of the charity of her savior forever.

Life's paths and secrets were soon to open up the teenager.

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><p><strong>AN: Heehee, I feel like that was intense. Recently (aka months ago) I fell in love with the pairing which is XanxusXTsuna, may it be genderbended or not. And so, with my love of genderbending (particularly Tsu-kun) and my devotion towards XanTsu, I decided to turn that creepy-stalkerish-esque love into a fanfiction. I've been playing around with several ideas, but I feel that for now this is the best one to see how things can flow between Tsu and Xanxus. **

**Tsunako is the protagonist. I plan on her going through challenges, as it should be. However I doubt that they will be physical fights (flashback abuses and beatings, maybe). The majority will be the fights for sanity (how to work that in...), and mental and emotional dominance over her fragile mind. How does her fragile mind break into partial insanity? Read to find out! **

**First things first, Tsuna will not be the Decimo, though she will be EXTREMELY close to it. The position of Decimo will belong to everyone's favorite Varia leader...Xanxus. Why you ask? Read to find out!**

**Basically, I have an idea of how this fanfic will work out. Depending on how much response I get will depend on how well I plot out the plot, which will also help determine the length. **

**As I said, I'm simply toying with this idea. I'm uncertain as to what I'm going to do (though I feel like I love this one more than my other fanfics) with this particular story. **

**_If _this story gets a good feedback and I decide I'll push myself to work on it to make it the best. Fanfic. I've. Ever. Written (both published on and my own personal collection), I think it might be a bit long. Just a bit. I think I'm dying of the work already. **

**Anyway, if anyone ever even read this A/N, thank you! (For reading the A/N and the story...really, thanks). Since it's an introductory chapter, I feel like it deserves a synposis of a basic idea...yeah.**

**So, that's about it. Thanks for reading and do please review, I love waking up in the morning and reading reviews and PM's (especially the PM's where I'm threatened ((jokingly, of course...otherwise I might hide in a cave somewhere)) with a chainsaw to update...those are my favorite)**.

**-Aerie of Art...Master of Long A/N's (oh, look, that's an epithet!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for everyone who took the time to try this story out. XD  
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**A special 'THANK YOU!' to: HikariAi (doubly), Sasuna123 (doubly), Vampire Devil Kitty, animefreak Beth14, kat716, moonlight phonex101, Snush.  
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**This chapter is dedicated to: Hell Changer and Romina Baskerville, because they are the awesome people who reviewed. **

**_And a super special dedication and 'thank you' to:_ xxYuunaxx for being the very first reviewer. Thanks, xxYuunaxx, for being my first reviewer on this story. I appreciate it. And also for favoriting this.  
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**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own KHR! nor do I own Edgar Allan Poe's poem, 'A Dream Within A Dream'.  
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><p><strong>Chapter Two: <strong>

Tsunako had finished her breakfast, and had placed the silver tray out in the hall. She had quickly shut and locked the door behind her, still not used to trust and forgiveness.

She saw a leather bound book by her bedside, and being the curious young lady she was, took the book in hand, sat on the bed, and opened to page one.

She skimmed over the words, stumbling slightly, not quite used to some of the words nor the style of literature.

…_That my days have been a dream; _

_Yet if hope has flown away_

_In a night, or in a day, _

_In a vision, or in none, _

_Is it therefore the less gone? _

_All that we see or seem_

_Is but a dream within a dream._

She didn't understand the words, the reasoning behind them. She silently berated herself for her stupidity.

She flipped through a few pages, looking for anything interesting, anything at all, but her fragile mindset couldn't quite comprehend anything else. And so, feeling dejected and completely foolish, she settled back down in the bed and fell asleep.

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><p>"<em>Tsunako…Tsunako!" a voice called out to her. The girl was mopping a hallway in the mansion, silently humming in time with her strokes. She paused from her work and looked up into the caller's face. But she couldn't see a thing, just a blurred image wearing a traditonal summer yukata. Though, she could tell the blurred figure was most definitely a male. <em>

_However, this image was nothing like her companions, this one seemed to radiate cruelty and malice, and though the face was blurred, Tsunako could tell their was a devilish smirk on his face, as if he was about to hurt her in the worst way he could think of. _

_She immediately flinched, though the figure hadn't moved a step towards her. And she shook, feeling timid and scared. She peered into his blurry eyes, looking, as if searching for a hint as to what the figure would do to her. Frightened, she was indeed, frightened for her life. _

"_Y-yes? May I help you, Master?" she asked, her voice shaky and quiet, and if her voice was a physical object, it would most definitely be a glass orb, strong when whole, but easily breakable and destroyable when threatened. _

"_Oh, it is nothing, My Girl. But, perhaps you will hear what I have to say?" his cruel grin widened, showing bright, sharp teeth, as if he was a shark ready to rip her to shreds. Or a lion. _

"_W-what do you need to say, M-master?" she quivered, her small hands clutching the mop's handle, splinters digging into her soft flesh. _

"_Oh, it isn't much to say. I, well, I think that perhaps you already know it, My Girl." He acted as if she was his property, his toy. She didn't understand the symbolism with calling her "My Girl," as if she belonged to him and no one else. _

"_I-I d-don't understand, M-M-master…" her voice was loosing what little power it held. _

"_I'd prefer it if you called me by my name, My Girl." His sharp teeth glinted in the dim lighting. _

"_A-and…w-what would t-that be, Master?" she said. The man's smirk widened. _

"_I'm sure, like so many other things, you know my name. After all, I am a part of you, Tsunako." His cruel smiled seemed to lose some of its malice, and instead took up sadness. But as soon as the humanistic emotion came, it disappeared, replaced by a malice that increased ten fold. _

"_A-Akuma?" Tsunako didn't know where the name had come from, but it felt so right on her tongue. She felt afraid, yet protected, when the name left her lips, as if the creature before her was not only her destruction, but her savior, her protector, her comrade, her companion, her closest confident. But she couldn't help but keep some of her fear close to herself, guarded safely in her mind, soul, and heart._

"_I suppose that is what I am, but my name is Eri. You may choose what to call me, My Girl." The sharp teeth no longer felt dangerous, and Tsunako seemed to relax a bit, her shoulders dropped down and her hands no longer clutched the mop handle like a lifeline, though the splinters had dug into her hands and left pinpricks of blood. _

"_What do you have to s-say, Akuma-kun?" she asked, her voice rising a bit in strength. The akuma's smile widened. _

"_I told you, you already know." _

"_I-is it about…the recent events?"_

"_Yes, what will you do now, My Girl? You have no family, they gave you up…sold you to the Takazuki Group…you have no one who loves you, who cares for you, My Girl…" he didn't finish his thought, he left Tsunako to ponder over his words and accusations. _

"_N-no one…loves me, Akuma-kun?" she asked, her eyes widening, the mop falling from her grasp. Her knees hit the ground, and she finally understood what she had been lacking for her life. A loving family, someone who actually cared for her. Emptiness, which she had never felt before because she knew nothing of what she was missing, never even thought about it, emptiness filled her soul. A few silent tears ran down her cheeks. She lifted her face and peered into the eyes of Akuma, who was slowly becoming less blurry, and more realistic. Her soft caramel eyes met his harsh obsidian ones. _

"_That's right, My Girl. No one. No one has ever wanted you, loved you, yearned for you. Now that you are free from the chains of your masters, what will you do? You have nothing, no one. Absolutely nothing. You are nothing." His obsidian eyes, which were the only feature she could make out, peered at her, full of hatred and disgust. _

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><p>She flew out of the bed, panting heavily. She had never dreamed before, never.<p>

She rubbed her tired eyes, not surprised when she felt the tear tracks running down her pale and pasty cheeks. She sniffled and moved towards the mirror in the room. She looked into it, seeing a short and fragile female, with spiky, light brown bangs and hair that fell to her lower back. Her caramel eyes were filled with tears and a crimson color, a color she had never seen before in her eyes.

But it wasn't the physical attributes she saw. It was her inner self, pointing out the reasons why she was unloved. It was as if the akuma was right next to her, his long index finger pointing to her almost nonexistent chest, to her runny nose, her mind, her heart.

"Is it true, does no one love me?" she asked herself, watching her pink lips moving, showing off the straight, white teeth. Her heart began to ache. Never before had she felt this emotion, this feeling. She began to look deeper, seeing every single thing that was horrible about her. Her stupidity, her naivety, her immature self, her childlike soul.

Her heart ached, it truly did.

"So. I'm unwanted, unloved, uncared for. I am unnecessary in this world, am I. Just you watch, Eri. I will show you, I will prove you wrong. I know, I know that someone will care for me, someday, sometime from now. You just watch, Eri the akuma…I will show you that you can't break my hope in life, my belief in my intuition, or my soul." But despite her words, Tsunako couldn't help but feel the tiny break in her hope, her beliefs, and her soul. She couldn't help but wonder, what if the akuma is right?

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><p><strong>AN: Ok. That was random, really and truly. I didn't know what to do for the second chapter, I don't want to rush this story. This chapter was kind of an introduction into the mind workings of our dear Tsu-chan. Basically, her "Akuma-kun" is the manistfestation of her worries, fears...he's her "darker self". **_**He's **_**gonna be the one to basically threaten her sanity. It'll be a battle between her darker self, who claims she's unloved and that she should just give up hope on everything, and her normal self, her "lighter self", who will try to reign in dominance and show her, that no matter what, she's loved and that hope is the best darned thing EVER. The last paragraph is basically her telling Eri that he's wrong, yet it also tells about how she's slowly breaking. **

**On another note, I'm sorry that this isn't mentioning X27 quite yet, in fact I don't think XanXan will be mentioned for a bit. I think the most mentioned character will be the Ninth, and maybe Iemitsu and Nana Sawada. **

_**When are her parents gonna find her? **_**Is what most of you are thinking. Be patient! I'm trying not to rush things...now I feel like I'm moving SLOWER than a turtle. I think soon, perhaps. But truthfully the Ninth is going to be using his intuition ****unravel the mystery that is Tsu-chan. I am pretty sure I'll mention the Ninth in the next chapter, and in the next one or two or three the Ninth will start to gain his curiosity over Tsu-chan. Among those chapters will be Tsu-chan and Eri's conversations and what not. **

**-Aerie Art of FanFiction, Master of Long A/N's, Random Stories, and Crazy Plot Lines (oh, look! That's an epithet!)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I felt that it was time to update this piece, so it is utterly random and if it doesn't make sense...whatevs. Anyway, I do not own KHR! blah, blah, blah. *sighs* I really thought that this fanfic might become one of my easiest to write...but I find it hard still...  
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><p><strong>Chapter Three: <strong>

It had been a week since the raid on the Takazuki Yakuza Group, and Timoteo Vongola was still in Japan. He wasn't quite sure of his decision, but he chose to stay in Japan for awhile longer. His intuition…it whispered in his ear, _"Wait and stay, Timoteo, wait and stay, and a long lost treasure will be returned~"_ and to be honest, he was curious about it. What treasure was lost from the Vongola Family that could possibly be returned in Japan of all places?

So he stayed. Despite being Italian-based, the Vongola's had many a safe house, manor, mansion, and even buildings, corporations, companies, and whatnot all over the world. He was currently in a countryside mansion, with himself, a few of his Guardians, a few Italian servants, and, naturally, a small group of the slaves they had rescued from the Takazuki Group. The Vongola Ninth involuntarily shuddered at the thought of the Takazuki's, they were a disgusting bunch, kidnapping young girls and selling their virginity for a high price.

Thanks to the Vongola's connections and assets, his people had found the families of the majority of the girls and women. Many had been given medical treatment and returned to their families. The younger girls, the ones without families, were going to be put in adoption centers, except for a select few that exhibited signs of a good Mafioso. The elder girls, the women, without families were being set up with jobs and shelter. Timoteo would never let children or females rot on the streets without food or shelter.

But there was one girl, a girl who just so happened to be in the mansion right now with him, that intrigued him beyond belief. He barely remembered her appearance, but it was of a young, fragile girl; a short little female with spiky brown hair that fell to her lower back and intoxicating caramel eyes. She hadn't left her assigned room, and no one had even seen her at all. But they knew she was eating, for the tray was always empty a few hours after placing it in front of the door.

She reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite place her. He simply pushed the thought aside, instead concentrating on the paperwork in front of him.

"Business deals…alliance requests…declaration of war…" the elderly man sighed, running a hand through his gray hair. He was honestly getting to old for this position.

A reason why he awakened his son, Xanxus, just a few months ago. While Xanxus had been "cooling his head off," they had performed DNA tests. And so much to their surprise…

Xanxus was a match, an ancient descendent of the Vongola Secondo, distant but related nonetheless. He could be considered an heir to the throne of Vongola. No, untrue, he _is _the heir to the throne of Vongola, as the last remaining heir. His sons, perished. Any distant relatives, dead.

Tsunako Sawada, direct descendent of Vongola Primo…deceased by legal means. She had been missing for twelve years, twelve years that her parents mourned for her. Finally her parents had declared her deceased.

A ringing sound interrupted the Ninth's thoughts, and he quickly answered the phone call.

"Ciao, questo è il parlare Nona." He answered. _(Hello, this is the Ninth speaking.)_

"Mi scuso se la interrompo, signore, ma questo modo è della massima importanza." A female voice answered him, his intuition telling him that it was the CEDEF member, Oregano. _(I apologize for interrupting you, sir, but this manner is of the utmost importance.)_

"E 'bene. Qual è il problema?" he assured her. _(It is fine. What is the issue?)_

"L'erede al trono Vongola, la Decimo futuro, Xanxus, viene andare in Giappone in tre giorni di tempo." She said. _(The heir to the Vongola throne, the future Tenth, Xanxus, is going to Japan in three days time.)_

"E perché è che un problema?" he responded easily. _(And why is that an issue?)_

"Mi dispiace se questo è stato maleducato. Sono stato semplicemente ordinato di informarvi." She said cooly. _(I am sorry if that was rude. I was merely ordered to inform you.)_

"E 'bene. Ho del lavoro da sbrigare. Sarò disconnettere la chiamata ora." He said before hanging up the phone. _(It is fine. I have work to attend to. I'll be disconnecting the call now.)_

He leaned back in his chair, running hand through his hair once again. So...his son, his violent son, was coming here? He sighed as he thought about the emotionally damaged girls. He'd have to get them out of the mansion quickly, or Xanxus was sure to traumatize them further.

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><p>As it was, only one girl remained by the end of the day, the girl with no family and no past, a girl who was called Tsunako. Her name, her face, it tugged at his mind, inticing him with sweet memories that seemed to be just out of reach. But he tossed the feeling away, too busy with other work. He had alliance requests to look over, temporary treaties, requests for protection...declarations of war...and, of course, the thought of Xanxus coming over.<p>

Why would Xanxus come all the way to Japan? He preferred to stay at Varia headquarters, drinking tequila and throwing things at his Guardians. Timoteo decided not to ponder over the thought of his adoptive son coming, but instead to prepare for the inevitable arrival.

He supposed that Tsunako would be safe enough, she never left the room as it was. So, he supposed, that detail was already dealt with.

Tired from his paperwork, the paperwork he had while on "vacation," he decided to walk around. It was his mansion after all, he was allowed to roam as he pleased.

It was nearing midnight, he noticed. The bright full moon glinted through the glass windows, the stars bright overhead. Timoteo stopped himself of his walk in front of the library doors. He pushed the large doors open and walked inside, welcomed by the many bookshelves filled with literary works.

And, much to his surprise, a small figure. Her back was turned from him, hunched over a table, stacks of books surrounding her. Her long, brown hair was controlled by a a thick braid. She wore only a simple white nightgown, and she was barefoot. He noticed as her toes seemed to curl in annoyance every now and then.

"Is there something you need, dear?" he asked, startling the girl. She jumped and spun around, her eyes widening at the sight of him, fear evident in the caramel orbs.

"I will not harm you, child. You may not wish to, but I ask you to relax a bit. If you tense up for too long, you'll strain yourself." He said casually as he strode past her and to a shelf. He looked at the binds, searching for a title that caught his eyes. But he was startled from his search when he heard a soft mumbling. He had never heard the girl try and speak before.

"What was that, child?" he asked, turning toward the young girl. She mumbled again, louder this time, but still inaudible.

"I'm afriad, my dear, that you will have to speak up, speak clearer." He gently coaxed her.

"T-t-t-thank y-y-you f-for saving e-e-everyone..." her eyes were downcast, squeezed shut behind teary lids. A dark red blush of embarrassment and fear appeared over her pale cheeks. Her hands were clenched into tiny fists at her side.

"Alright then, child. You needn't push yourself. You talk when you find yourself able." The Ninth said softly, inwardly grinning when he saw the young female relax a bit.

"T-thank you!" she cried out, her eyes opening and her head springing upward. Before he could respond, he watched as she ran away from him, out the doors and down the hall. He listened as her running feet soon became nonexistent.

"Well, I'm glad that the girl is opening up...but what do I do when Xanxus comes?" Timoteo said to himself. He was happy that the girl was opening up, beginning to heal from her emotional, mental, and physical wounds...but on another hand, what was he supposed to do when Xanxus came? If she was leaving her room now...a meeting between the two was inevitable.

Well, the Ninth still had about two days now to figure it all out.

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><p>"E-Eri! I was so scared!" Tsunako cried out, jumping onto her bed after locking her door. The akuma seemed to materialize before her, floating in the air next to the bed.<p>

"My Girl, don't you worry. He doesn't love you, but he won't hurt you." The akuma said, his canines showing.

As Tsunako fell asleep that night, sniffles and sobs retching out of her throat softly, and tears falling down her cheeks, her akuma whispered to her.

"_No one loves you, no one will ever love you, no one has ever loved you. You are nothing, you were thrown-away garbage. No one loves you. No one loves you." _

Are these really the true feelings of such an innocent-looking girl? Her true fears and feelings and thoughts? Yes, the true, innermost feelings of one extremely damaged child.

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><p><strong>Wasn't that just fabulous? Kidding, I don't think that that was my best work. I didn't know what to do for a third chapter, so I decided to make a meager attempt at opening up the Ninth's curiosity, as well as trying to introduce and introduction to XanXan (why he goes to Japan, who knows?). When writing this and plotting out (look how well plotting it out turned out...) I didn't plan for any OC's, truthfully I really hate OC's. They're annoying. But...Eri is like a part of Tsu, right? Her innermost feelings? <strong>**He's, like, the embodiment of her decade or so of her abuse. I dunno. **

**Anywho...I'll try to do better on this fanfiction. (x_x) **

**-Aerie **

**Review?  
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